The present invention relates to a chain conveyor equipped with chain links moving in rails and with holders for conveying packaging containers, such as containers for pourable products.
German Gebrauchsmuster [Utility Mode Patent] No. 7,333,093 discloses a chain conveyor provided with covers to keep impurities from the rails and from the chain rollers. The chain conveyor and its mounts pass around associated drive wheels in a radial direction such that the holders lie on top of the chain conveyor when moving in the transporting direction and hang down during the return movement. The cover includes a shielding belt which is disposed between the supporting chain or chains and the holders and includes shielding members and sealing membranes disposed therebetween.
In addition to such chain conveyors in which the grippers or holders are in a so-called radial arrangement, there also exist chain conveyors in which the holders are moved on a path centered on a vertical plane alongside the chain or chains. Such chain conveyors then have their holders arranged in an axially parallel manner.